Why can't we predict volcanic eruptions like we do hurricanes?
Posted: Tue May 10, 2022 2:22 am
https://phys.org/news/2022-05-volcanic- ... canes.html
While the Cumbre Vieja eruption in La Palma, Spain, is said to have cost EUR 843 million, thankfully, only one casualty was reported. While the emergency response is celebrated, the event has sparked questions about how much advance warning is possible for this type of natural disaster.
"Volcanology is progressing similarly to extreme weather forecasting, but is a few decades behind," says Kolzenburg, a volcanologist at the University of Buffalo in the United States. "First, we already have a long record of weather data to draw on. Second, hurricanes are more frequent and often seasonal, whereas major volcanic eruptions are infrequent. Last, volcanoes are technically and logistically difficult to monitor."
While the Cumbre Vieja eruption in La Palma, Spain, is said to have cost EUR 843 million, thankfully, only one casualty was reported. While the emergency response is celebrated, the event has sparked questions about how much advance warning is possible for this type of natural disaster.
"Volcanology is progressing similarly to extreme weather forecasting, but is a few decades behind," says Kolzenburg, a volcanologist at the University of Buffalo in the United States. "First, we already have a long record of weather data to draw on. Second, hurricanes are more frequent and often seasonal, whereas major volcanic eruptions are infrequent. Last, volcanoes are technically and logistically difficult to monitor."